This application relates to error correction methods for use in electrochemical determination of analytes such as glucose, and to a meter, and meter-test strip combination for use in such a method.
Small disposable electrochemical test strips are frequently used in the monitoring of blood glucose by diabetics. Such test strips can also be employed in the detection of other physiological chemicals of interest and substances of abuse. In general, the test strip comprises at least two electrodes and appropriate reagents for the test to be performed, and is manufactured as a single use, disposable element. The test strip is combined with a sample such as blood, saliva or urine before or after insertion in a reusable meter, which contains the mechanisms for detecting and processing an electrochemical signal from the test strip into an indication of the presence/absence or quantity of the analyte determined by the test strip.
Electrochemical detection of glucose is conventionally achieved by applying a potential to an electrochemical cell containing a sample to be evaluated for the presence/amount of glucose, an enzyme that oxidizes glucose, such as glucose oxidase, and a redox mediator. As shown in FIG. 1, the enzyme oxidizes glucose to form gluconolactone and a reduced form of the enzyme. Oxidized mediator reacts with the reduced enzyme to regenerate the active oxidase and produced a reduced mediator. Reduced mediator is oxidized at one of the electrodes, and then diffuses back to either be reduced at the other electrode or by the reduced enzyme to complete the cycle, and to result in a measurable current. The measured current is related to the amount of glucose in the sample, and various techniques are known for determining glucose concentrations in such a system are known. (See, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,284,125; 5,942,102; 5,352,351; and 5,243,516, which are incorporated herein by reference.)                It is generally desirable in electrochemical test strips to utilize a small volume sample. Because these tests may be performed with considerable frequency, it is desirable to utilize disposable, single use test strips and to minimize the per strip cost. These desires favor less precise manufacturing methods. At the same time, there is a conflicting desire for use of the smallest possible sample volume, and determinations of sufficient accuracy and precision to be useful. It would therefore be useful to be able to make corrections for multiple variations in the quality of the strip based on measurements made at the time of use, or to reject strips that are too far outside acceptable parameters. It would further be desirable to make these corrections or to reject strips based upon one or at most a small number of measured parameters.        